My wife was part of a group that put together a community garden in our town last year. This year, I begged her to let me plant a 4x8 raised bed in her plot as my pizza garden. Three varieties of tomatoes (Big Beef, Brandywine, and Sungold cherry tomatoes) and basil are in now, with garlic going in this fall. We love White Margherita pizzas, so I'm hoping they will work out. I'm waiting to transplant some other heirlooms at home, but not as hopeful... too much shade and I did battle with a very persistent chipmunk last year, who managed to eat a lot of what I planted the day before they were ripe.

We've got some red and yellow peppers going in the community garden plot, too (along with other stuff that I wouldn't dream of putting on a pizza).

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My wife was part of a group that put together a community garden in our town last year. This year, I begged her to let me plant a 4x8 raised bed in her plot as my pizza garden. Three varieties of tomatoes (Big Beef, Brandywine, and Sungold cherry tomatoes) and basil are in now, with garlic going in this fall. We love White Margherita pizzas, so I'm hoping they will work out. I'm waiting to transplant some other heirlooms at home, but not as hopeful... too much shade and I did battle with a very persistent chipmunk last year, who managed to eat a lot of what I planted the day before they were ripe.

We've got some red and yellow peppers going in the community garden plot, too (along with other stuff that I wouldn't dream of putting on a pizza).

bfguilford,

Sounds great that your wife let you plant a 4íx8í raised bed in her plot as a pizza garden. I hope your garden produces great results for your pizzas. I also hope if you transplant some other heirloom tomatoes at home that the shade doesnít hinder the plants and chipmunk doesnít eat your plants. That was a shame that last year the chipmunk managed to eat a lot of what you planted the day before they were ripe.

That chipmunk would've met my assortment of firearms for eating my 'maters the day before harvest. He would've got to meet my dogs appetite as well. LOL, Ruger loves killing and eating small game whole. He's like my big 'ole silver short-haired wolf, but without the vicious attitude.

That chipmunk really tested the limits of my preference for non-violence. I have to admit that I was starting to feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack. We'll see what happens this year... at least I have my backup plan.

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That chipmunk really tested the limits of my preference for non-violence. I have to admit that I was starting to feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack. We'll see what happens this year... at least I have my backup plan.

I think I am becoming like bfguilford and him posting about the chipmunk testing his limits. I saw the big fat groundhog tonight and he is really testing my limits. He is mowing off the top of more of my tomatoes plants and even mowed off peppers and fennel. I am not sure what I am going to do, but for now I sprinkled hot cayenne pepper on the plants. I donít know if that will stop the groundhog or not. I plan to ask my one neighbor if I can borrow his trap. You just put food inside and when the animal gets inside the door goes shut. I tried that one other year and never caught any of the buggers.

Norma... I actually put something called a Rat Zapper out next to the tomato plants last year (delivers a major shock to any varmint that goes in after the bait... enough to kill a mouse for sure, and supposed to be enough to kill a rat), and the darned chipmunk got in, got the bait and somehow survived... 5 days in a row, sometimes multiple times a day. I put it away when I realized that it was one tough chipmunk... probably a lot tougher than me, and I didn't want to risk pissing it off any more.

Kind of reminds me of a classic Canadian cartoon called The Cat Came Back .

Barry

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Norma... I actually put something called a Rat Zapper out next to the tomato plants last year (delivers a major shock to any varmint that goes in after the bait... enough to kill a mouse for sure, and supposed to be enough to kill a rat), and the darned chipmunk got in, got the bait and somehow survived... 5 days in a row, sometimes multiple times a day. I put it away when I realized that it was one tough chipmunk... probably a lot tougher than me, and I didn't want to risk pissing it off any more.

Kind of reminds me of a classic Canadian cartoon called The Cat Came Back .

Barry

Barry,

Wow, you sure had trouble with that chipmunk too! It sounds like he had nine lives like a cat. That sure was one smart chipmunk.

I sure donít know what I am going to do next, but try the trap. At least I hope the groundhog gets a hot mouth. Thanks for the link to The Cat Came Back. It sure gave me a good laugh! That guy in the video sure looks like he was at his wits end too.

I sure donít know if the hot cayenne pepper will work all summer with my ground hog problems and the groundhogs eating my tomatoes and veggies, but so far it did work. The cayenne pepper didnít hurt the plants so far and the groundhogs havenít eaten anymore plants or mowed them down. Maybe the groundhogs donít like hot stuff. This picture is just of one place the groundhogs were eating stuff and now arenĎt.

I sure donít know if the hot cayenne pepper will work all summer with my ground hog problems and the groundhogs eating my tomatoes and veggies, but so far it did work. The cayenne pepper didnít hurt the plants so far and the groundhogs havenít eaten anymore plants or mowed them down.

That's great, Norma. I'll be curious to hear if the cayenne alters the taste of the tomatoes and veggies at all by being absorbed.

Barry

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It won't affect the tomatoes. I am growing habaneros and ghost peppers together, I do expect cross pollination one these, and hope to impart some Habanero flavor into the heat of the evil ghost peppers. I plan on saving for seed at least one pod of each and crossing them again next year. What could be better than a million scoville pepper with the flavor of habanero?

It won't affect the tomatoes. I am growing habaneros and ghost peppers together, I do expect cross pollination one these, and hope to impart some Habanero flavor into the heat of the evil ghost peppers. I plan on saving for seed at least one pod of each and crossing them again next year. What could be better than a million scoville pepper with the flavor of habanero?

Tom,

Thanks for posting that the cayenne pepper wonít affect the tomatoes or other veggies.

Good to hear you donít expect cross pollination with the habaneros and ghost peppers. Your experiment for next year sounds interesting. You must really like hot peppers. For me I like some heat, but habaneros and ghost peppers are too hot for me.

Good to know that's it's safe to use cayenne. I'm about to transplant 4 heirlooms into our backyard garden - the chipmunk is already pounding on the door, wanting to know when dinner is being served.

Though I would post a pic of my teeny-tiny Pizza Garden plot at our local community garden. The Big Beef is doing well (3 small green tomatoes and quite a few flowers; the Sungold is starting to perk up, with a few flowers on it as well; the Brandywine is taking its sweet (I hope) time. The 2 Genovese Basil plants are well established, and have donated to the last 2 bakes. I'll plant garlic this fall.

The second shows around 2/3 of the planted area in a 1 acre community garden. My wife and a few other avid gardeners spent over 2 years trying to find a location in our town (I think the word "no" is used more often here than in any other place I've lived). I get to tend a 4x24 plot of tomatoes and basil for our community food bank.

Wow, I agree that you have a nice garden! How do you water your plants in the community garden if it doesnít rain enough? We also have community gardens in our area and I always wondered what would happen if there is too much dry weather. I know my cousin used to garden in a community garden and he had to take 5 gallon of buckets of water along sometimes when it was too dry.

Best of luck with your chipmunk!

Hope to see more pictures of your community garden and your backyard garden though the summer.

BrickStoneOven: Went down about 8-10 inches and built it up around 8 inches. There are around 25-30 plots in the garden, plus another 5-6 that we plant for the local food bank. I wish my wife and I had more space there. We share a plot with another person.

Norma: Fortunately, the town agreed to run a water line in so we just have a bunch of really long hoses.

We're lucky to have a bunch of like minded people who really care about this garden and put a lot of time and effort into it (my wife being one of them). I just get to enjoy the benefits.

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I purchased a bale of straw from an Amish farmer to put down for bedding to control the weeds and try to keep in moisture. I havenít finished putting the straw around different places, but the one picture shows where I did put it down on the small garden. I first hoed the small garden before putting the straw down. It can also be seen where the one groundhog hole is right near my garden on the bank. The groundhog still didnít try to eat any more plants since the cayenne pepper was applied.

The tomatoes are growing in my garden and even the one small San Marzano tomato plant, (that seeds were dropped from last year) now has some flowers on it. There are also a few other Italian tomato plants that have small tomatoes on the stalks. A few tomatoes may soon be ripe, but not many. The cayenne pepper still seems to be doing the trick with the groundhogs. I found a few beetles on my basil plants in the last few days and just late this afternoon also put some cayenne pepper on the basil plants to see if it discourages the beetles.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I just saw that late tomato blight has now been spotted in a number of areas (including my own)... arghhhhh Check out http://www.usablight.org/?q=map

San Francisco County, CA

New Haven County, CT

Collier County, FLFlagler County, FloridaHendry County, FLHillsborough County, FLLeon County, FLMadison County, FLManatee County, FLPalm Beach County, FLPutnam, FLSt Johns County, FL

Beaufort County, NCCamden County, NCPasquotank County, NC

Suffolk County, NYBurlington County, NJ

Blair County, PACentre County, PAChester County, PAFranklin County, PALancaster County, PAMifflin County, PASchuylkill County, PASnyder County, PA

Chesterfield County, VAAccomack County, VA

Precautions to take (according to one of the honchos at our community garden):

1. Stake your tomatoes, prune, and make sure to have maximum air flow around all your plants.2. DO NOT water from overhead! Keep your hose low and water at the base of your plants only. Water in the early part of the day and avoid watering late afternoon/evenings. 3. If you spot diseased plants, pull them immediately, bag them and remove them. - it spreads very quickly.

Barry

« Last Edit: June 23, 2012, 08:33:19 PM by bfguilford »

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